Incentives For United Hit By Hartigan

April 09, 1990|By John Lucadamo.

Neil Hartigan, the Democratic candidate for governor, took a swipe Sunday at Gov. James Thompson`s plan to offer nearly $100 million in incentives intended to bring a big United Airlines maintenance base to Chanute Air Force Base near Rantoul, which is scheduled to be closed.

Hartigan has criticized the Thompson administration in the past for

``doling out hundreds of millions of dollars`` in incentives to companies without the promise of substantial new jobs or increased tax receipts, said his spokesman, James Strong.

He was referring to state grants to Sears, Roebuck and Co. to keep its merchandise group in Illinois and to Diamond-Star Motors Corp. to settle in the Bloomington-Normal area.

United, which is based in Elk Grove Village, plans to build a new multimillion-dollar maintenance center east of the Rocky Mountains to supplement its main repair shops in San Francisco. United`s fleet of 435 aircraft is expanding at the rate of a plane a week, said Rob Doughty, an airline spokesman.

The airline has received dozens of offers from communities wanting the project, but it will not identify them, Doughty said. The airline is reportedly looking at some 20 sites.

Hartigan wants to study Thompson`s proposal to persuade United to build a big maintenance center at Chanute, Strong said.

But Hartigan said, ``We don`t need another knee-jerk reaction of opening the state treasury to throw in taxpayers` dollars with a questionable federal commitment,`` according to Strong.

Hartigan`s Republican rival, Jim Edgar, could not be reached for comment. United`s new center will initially have about 5,000 employees and grow to 7,000, mostly new hires, Doughty said. The airline has said it plans to select a site by midyear and occupy it in 1993.

The Defense Department plans to close Chanute in 1993.

The state`s proposal could renew the politically sensitive issue of using taxpayer funds for business development in a year when voters will choose a new governor and other statewide officers. In addition, the full House and two-thirds of the Senate are up for election.

Thompson`s proposal calls for spending nearly $80 million for site improvements, including some $65 million for rehabilitating and extending runways and installing systems for all-weather landings. In addition, the state plans training grants of up to $2,000 per employee for a total cost of about $14 million.

``Instead of going to Japan on Monday, Thompson ought to be meeting to see about getting money from`` federal sources, Strong said.

Illinois officials, though, believe it is unlikely that the federal government would come to the state`s aid.